US5538030A - Coupling for connecting conduits in an automatic device for distributing a food product - Google Patents

Coupling for connecting conduits in an automatic device for distributing a food product Download PDF

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Publication number
US5538030A
US5538030A US08/325,225 US32522594A US5538030A US 5538030 A US5538030 A US 5538030A US 32522594 A US32522594 A US 32522594A US 5538030 A US5538030 A US 5538030A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
connection piece
passage
male connection
conduit
male
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
US08/325,225
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English (en)
Inventor
Guido Ooms
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Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
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Publication of US5538030A publication Critical patent/US5538030A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23G—COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF
    • A23G9/00—Frozen sweets, e.g. ice confectionery, ice-cream; Mixtures therefor
    • A23G9/04—Production of frozen sweets, e.g. ice-cream
    • A23G9/22—Details, component parts or accessories of apparatus insofar as not peculiar to a single one of the preceding groups
    • A23G9/30—Cleaning; Keeping clean; Sterilisation
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
    • B67D1/07—Cleaning beverage-dispensing apparatus
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
    • B67D1/08—Details
    • B67D1/0829—Keg connection means
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
    • Y10T137/4238—With cleaner, lubrication added to fluid or liquid sealing at valve interface
    • Y10T137/4245—Cleaning or steam sterilizing
    • Y10T137/4259—With separate material addition
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
    • Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
    • Y10T137/8158—With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means
    • Y10T137/8342—Liquid level responsive indicator, recorder or alarm

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a coupling for removably connecting a conduit for cleaning liquid to a conduit in an automatic device for distributing a liquid or semi-liquid food product, which coupling comprises a first male connection piece with a body provided with a passage to which the conduit connects and a female connection piece formed by a recipient which is opened at one end, removably connecting with its open end in a leak-proof way to the body of the male connection piece but surrounding with its closed end, with an interval, an extremity of the body of the male connection piece on which the passage in this connection piece gives, while the recipient is provided in its wall and laterally with respect to the passage through the body, with an opening for connecting the cleaning conduit, which opening gives on said interval.
  • Such couplings can be used with automatic devices for distributing soft-ice and the like.
  • the male connection piece is connected to a reservoir containing a liquid composition to connect the automatic device conduit to the reservoir.
  • the composition is pumped from the reservoir, eventually whipped with air and cooled in a cooling element.
  • a coupling of this kind is disclosed in CH-A-400.047.
  • the body of the male connection piece is formed by the dispensing tube of a whipped cream dispenser, the lower end of which tube is always open. Additional food products possibly contained in the tube can drop down when the dispensing tube, removed from the dispenser body, is brought to the female connection piece. While the dispensing tube in a whipped cream dispenser cannot contain large quantities of food product and can easily be emptied before the dispensing tube is removed from the dispenser body. In soft-ice distributing devices and the like large quantities of food product are present in the conduit connected to the male connecting piece. Dropping of the food product will dirty the inside of the distributing device. This can be partly avoided by holding a container under the male connection piece when transporting it from the reservoir containing the liquid composition towards the female connection piece, but that complicates the cleaning.
  • a coupling comprising anon-return valve in one of the connection pieces is known as such from EP-A-270.302.
  • this coupling is not for connecting to a conduit for cleaning liquid and non of the connection pieces is a recipient surrounding the other connection piece. The cleaning of the outside of the connection piece which services to be introduced in a reservoir with a liquid food composition is not possible.
  • the invention aims at providing, in such a coupling for connecting conduits in an automatic device for distributing a food product, for a simple and efficient way of cleaning the automatic device conduit as well as the male connection piece.
  • a recoil valve is mounted in the passage of the body of the male connection piece, which valve, when the male connection piece is free or connects the automatic device conduit to a reservoir, only allows a flow towards the automatic device conduit, and the recipient forming the female connection piece is provided at its bottom and opposite the passage with a pin which automatically pushes the recoil valve in the passage towards an open position when the recipient is connected to the male connection piece.
  • the passage is open when liquid is pumped from the reservoir, and the passage is automatically closed if the male connection piece is disconnected from the reservoir, so that no liquid can flow out of the conduit which is connected to it.
  • the recoil valve has no effect whatsoever on the cleaning as during cleaning the connection pieces are connected together and the recoil valve is pushed in open position.
  • At least one electrode is mounted inside the body of the male connection piece, said electrode being electrically isolated from the body and having one extremity located in the passage of the body, the other extremity being provided with a connection for an electric conductor for the connection to a measuring instrument.
  • the male connection piece is provided with a junction piece for the automatic device conduit, which is mounted rotatably on the body, and the inside of which connects in a leakproof way to the passage through this body.
  • the passage through the body is preferably located axially, while the body is preferably round.
  • the coupling comprises means for removably connecting the recipient of the female connection piece and the body of the male connection piece together.
  • brace parts which are connected hingeably to the recipient and clutch around a part of the male connection piece when they are rotated towards each other.
  • FIG. 1 represents a side view of the coupling according to the invention during cleaning
  • FIG. 2 represents a longitudinal section of the coupling from FIG. 1, on an enlarged scale
  • FIG. 3 represents a section according to line III--III in FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 4 represents a section similar to that of FIG. 2, but of the male connection piece mounted on a reservoir.
  • the coupling represented in FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises of a male connection piece 1 and a female connection piece formed by a cylindrical recipient 2, mounted thereon.
  • the coupling is destined for connecting an automatic device conduit for liquid used for human consumption in an automatic device for distributing soft-ice and a cleaning conduit.
  • the connection pieces are therefore made of stainless steel.
  • the male piece 1 comprises a round body 3 which is provided with an axial passage 4 and a junction piece 5which is rotatably mounted on the body 3.
  • the junction piece 5 is formed by a tube with two tube parts 6 and 7 which are perpendicular to each other.
  • the tube part 6 protrudes with one extremity loosely in the passage 4 and is provided at the outside of the body 3 with a flange 8 connecting to a sealing ring 9 which is mounted in a groove 10 concentrically surrounding the passage 4 in an extremity of the body 3.
  • This tube part 6 is held in the passage 4 by means of a pin 11 protruding through a hole 12 in the body 3, directed transversally to the passage and located partly in this passage 4, and is partly located in a groove 13 which extends over the circumference of the tube part 6 at the hole 12.
  • This pin 1 retains the junction piece 5 on the body 3 without interfering with its rotation.
  • the tube part 6 is provided around its circumference with a groove 14 in which a sealing ring 15 is located which is pressed against the wall of the passage 4.
  • the body is provided with a concentric groove 16, which leads outside of the body 3 through a hole 17.
  • a concentric groove 16 Through this hole 17 and groove 16 protrude two electric conductors 18 which are attached diametrically with respect to each other respectively with a screw 19 to the bottom of the groove 16 and with a screw 20 to an electrode 21.
  • This electrode 21, the upper side of which is located in the groove 16, is electrically isolated from the body 3 and protrudes transversely through this body into the extremity of the passage 4 away from the junction piece 5.
  • This electrode 21 is part of an idling detection.
  • the diameter of the body 3 decreases gradually towards an extremity, while the passage 4 shows a narrowing near the narrowest extremity of the body 3, forming a seat 22 of a recoil valve 23.
  • This recoil valve comprises a valve body 24, which is pushed in the direction of the seat 22 by a spring 25, leaning on the extremity of the conduit part 6 located in the passage 4.
  • the above-described male connection piece 1 is, during normal operation of the soft-ice machine, connected to a bag 26 with a liquid composition, for instance for producing ice, as represented in FIG. 4.
  • the body 3 mainly protrudes in the bag 26 and its thicker extremity against which the flange 8 is located, is clutched against the end of the neck of the bag 26 by means of an elastic clamping ring 27.
  • the measuring extremity of the electrode 21 is moisturized during the pumping up of the composition and, as mentioned before, a tension difference originates between the contacts 19 and 20, which is supplied to a measuring instrument as a signal through a lead 18.
  • the electrode 21 stays dry and thus an other signal is supplied to the measuring instrument, so that this can signal that the bag 26 is empty.
  • the male connection piece 1 is disconnected from the bag 26 and connected to the female connection piece formed by the recipient 2.
  • This recipient 2 consists of a cylindrical open cask 28 on which near its open extremity an outwardly directed shoulder 29 is mounted. The recipient is fixed in the automatic device with this shoulder 29 so that the cask is directed horizontally with its symmetry axis. Near its open extremity, the cask 28 is provided with a groove 30 over its inner circumference, in which a rubber sealing ring 31 is located. By means of this ring 31, the cask 28 connects in a leak-proof way to a middle part of the body 3, with its outmost extremity against the end part with larger diameter of the body 3, as is clearly represented in FIG. 2.
  • a space 32 is left over.
  • a hole 33 opening into this space 32 is applied opposite the side wall of the body 3, namely near the shoulder 29.
  • a cleaning conduit 34 is welded with its extremity in this hole and thus leads to the space 32.
  • a pin 35 is located, which, when the recipient is slipped over the body 3, protrudes in the passage 4 and pushes the valve body 24 of the recoil valve 23 into an open position, that is away from the seat 22.
  • brace parts 36 which are hingeable around a mutual hinge pin 37 which is located on the shoulder 29.
  • these brace parts 36 clutch with a folded edge around the flange 8. Due to the horizontal disposition of the cask 28, the coupling is placed in such a way during cleaning that the passage 4 in the body 3 is directed almost horizontally and that the hinge pin 37 is located on top. The brace parts 36 then fall towards each other due to their own weight and remain around the connection piece 1.
  • the recipient is slipped over the body 3 of the connection piece 1 in the position represented in FIGS. 1 and 2, but with the brace parts 36 rotated open, which are immediately thereafter released and allowed to rotated towards each other so that they couple the connection piece 1 and the recipient to each other.
  • cleaning liquid is supplied through the cleaning conduit 34, this liquid cannot flow straight in the passage 4, but needs to cover a detour with direction changes over the interval 32, so that turbulence is produced there.

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
  • Quick-Acting Or Multi-Walled Pipe Joints (AREA)
  • Clamps And Clips (AREA)
  • Connections Effected By Soldering, Adhesion, Or Permanent Deformation (AREA)
  • Flanged Joints, Insulating Joints, And Other Joints (AREA)
  • Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
US08/325,225 1992-04-22 1993-04-13 Coupling for connecting conduits in an automatic device for distributing a food product Expired - Fee Related US5538030A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE09200362 1992-04-22
BE9200362A BE1006862A6 (nl) 1992-04-22 1992-04-22 Koppeling voor het aan elkaar koppelen van leidingen in een automaat voor het verdelen van een voedingsprodukt en koppelstukken daarvan.
PCT/BE1993/000017 WO1993021102A1 (en) 1992-04-22 1993-04-13 Coupling for connecting conduits in an automatic device for distributing a food product and connection pieces thereof

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US5538030A true US5538030A (en) 1996-07-23

Family

ID=3886234

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US08/325,225 Expired - Fee Related US5538030A (en) 1992-04-22 1993-04-13 Coupling for connecting conduits in an automatic device for distributing a food product

Country Status (9)

Country Link
US (1) US5538030A (da)
EP (1) EP0636103B1 (da)
AT (1) ATE133143T1 (da)
BE (1) BE1006862A6 (da)
DE (1) DE69301358T2 (da)
DK (1) DK0636103T3 (da)
ES (1) ES2085152T3 (da)
GR (1) GR3019576T3 (da)
WO (1) WO1993021102A1 (da)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN109922665A (zh) * 2016-10-11 2019-06-21 泰而勒商用食品服务公司 用于冷冻食品分配机器的软管配合组件和组装方法

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1952698B1 (en) * 2005-08-26 2009-11-04 FBD Partnership LP Dispensing valve
US10512276B2 (en) 2015-02-09 2019-12-24 Fbd Partnership, Lp Multi-flavor food and/or beverage dispenser

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1602647A (en) * 1925-11-07 1926-10-12 Carr George Worthington Master valve
US1942241A (en) * 1930-01-27 1934-01-02 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Liquid level controlling means
US3677220A (en) * 1969-06-06 1972-07-18 Itt Volume indicator for fluid tanks
US4144901A (en) * 1977-06-23 1979-03-20 Terminator Products, Inc. Probe system for containers
US4186759A (en) * 1978-08-04 1980-02-05 Terminator Products, Inc. Closed system quick coupling head assembly
US4848381A (en) * 1987-02-13 1989-07-18 Diversey Corporation Clean in place system
US5311899A (en) * 1993-02-24 1994-05-17 Mitsubishi Kasei Corporation Coupling device

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CH400047A (fr) * 1964-03-04 1965-10-15 Assalit Louis Appareil à nettoyer les siphons destinés à produire de la crème Chantilly
GB1517923A (en) * 1975-06-27 1978-07-19 Schweppes Ltd Cleaning of beverage dispensing systems
GB8404176D0 (en) * 1984-02-17 1984-03-21 Imi Cornelius Uk Ltd Drinks dispense system
GB8628442D0 (en) * 1986-11-27 1986-12-31 Unilever Plc Coupling

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1602647A (en) * 1925-11-07 1926-10-12 Carr George Worthington Master valve
US1942241A (en) * 1930-01-27 1934-01-02 Westinghouse Electric & Mfg Co Liquid level controlling means
US3677220A (en) * 1969-06-06 1972-07-18 Itt Volume indicator for fluid tanks
US4144901A (en) * 1977-06-23 1979-03-20 Terminator Products, Inc. Probe system for containers
US4186759A (en) * 1978-08-04 1980-02-05 Terminator Products, Inc. Closed system quick coupling head assembly
US4848381A (en) * 1987-02-13 1989-07-18 Diversey Corporation Clean in place system
US5311899A (en) * 1993-02-24 1994-05-17 Mitsubishi Kasei Corporation Coupling device

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN109922665A (zh) * 2016-10-11 2019-06-21 泰而勒商用食品服务公司 用于冷冻食品分配机器的软管配合组件和组装方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ATE133143T1 (de) 1996-02-15
EP0636103B1 (en) 1996-01-17
DE69301358T2 (de) 1996-08-01
GR3019576T3 (en) 1996-07-31
BE1006862A6 (nl) 1995-01-10
DE69301358D1 (de) 1996-02-29
DK0636103T3 (da) 1996-04-22
WO1993021102A1 (en) 1993-10-28
ES2085152T3 (es) 1996-05-16
EP0636103A1 (en) 1995-02-01

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Effective date: 20040723

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